The present invention relates generally to shoes and, more particularly, to a process for attaching a shoe upper to a sole by applying staples, and the resulting shoe.
A first aspect of the present invention is generally characterized in a process for assembling a shoe having a shoe upper and a sole by inserting portions of the shoe upper into apertures formed in the sole and applying staples to attach the shoe upper to the shoe sole. While the present invention is illustrated as employing staples having a "U"-shaped configuration or form, staples of any design or configuration can be used, provided that they serve the designated function of attaching the shoe upper to the shoe sole. The shoe upper and sole can be manufactured from any appropriate material and are independent from each other; furthermore they are preferably the only parts of the shoe, although other shoe components can be incorporated. It should also be noted that the upper and the sole can each be manufactured from a single independent matrix, as described in a patent application by the same inventor. The staples can be manufactured of metal (e.g., iron, steel, aluminum, etc.), or a plastic material, or any other material which is appropriate to the attaching function (i.e., to affix the shoe upper to the sole). Generally, the free ends or edges of the upper are inserted into the apertures formed in the sole, after which the step of attaching the upper to the sole is carried out. The apertures are formed near the sole edges or ribs, and the sole edges are flexible enough to be displaced before the staples are applied through the parts of the upper inserted into the sole. After applying the staples, the sole edges are allowed to return to their original position and secured with glue to the shoe sole.
A second aspect of the present invention is generally characterized in a shoe fabricated in accordance with the above process.
The invention will be better understood by way of the drawings enclosed, represented by figures briefly described as follows, when examined along with following description.